ELECTRIC RAILWAYS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 17730, 15 September 1919, Page 2

ELECTRIC RAILWAYS

MELBOi; K\l<: SYSTEM. OfKRATIUX IN SUJIURBS. TOTAL OF 553 TRACK Ml LEA A description of the electrification of the sunurban railway services of Mej|>ouriie lias been <'.oiiti ihiittsi by Mr !•'. Dewey 10 t.iie New South Wali.'S railway management. Jl<! states that tiic Victorian Kaihvuy Commissioners, acting on expert advice, drcidcd sonio 10 years ago to electrify tiu> whole of the Melbourne metropolitan system on tlie direct current overhead trolly wire style. The lines thus affected had an aggregate track mileage of 553, the various routts extending practically in all directions from Hinders Street Central Station, hut more so to the east and south-east. The routes were generally doubk-traek, hut there were also some short six, four, three, and single truck stretches. Tho work of conversion has been in progress for some years, but lias been much liampo.-nd by the war, which gr at!y delayed the manufacture ami shiputenl, of the necessary machinery and electrical supplies from abroad. For some considerable time, however, work has been confined to the Essendon Sandringham fine, with tile result that during the latter part of May tne official opening of that wet-ion took "plac,-. 11ns was certainly ;> great event in the electrical world, and it served to herald the dawn of the era of heavy elcctric railroading in Australia, The main generating station for the whole of tho electrification and its sundry services Newport, a southern suburb. , Ine generators are driven by steam tur„,n'r\f' t-bo power being "'stepped up" to 20,000 volts, and delivered to tho various ■substations, where it is reduced to 1530 volts at which pressure it passes into tht overhead conductors. 'J.here are 15 substations for tho elcrtr;c railway service, and five for tlie tramway, lighting, workshop ' and other services. ' Hie rolling stock comprises oars of four types Motor cars which are equipped with motor bogies, aiid have a driving i omp irtment. at one end; trail cars, without motors: double-end motor cars, which have a control compartment at each end; and drivin" trail cars, which have a driving compartment at one end. Each motor car is equipped witii four 140 h.p. motor? two being mountrd on each truck. Trains will be operated on what is known as tho multiple unit system, which pro- ) ides great flexibility and reduces shunting movements to a minimum. Thus a six-car train would consist of throe motor cars and three trail cars; a two-car tram would consist of one motor car and one driving trail car; a mctor car and a trail car constituting a unit in each case When a reduction in tho size of a train is required it is only neccssary to make disconnections. and tfje one or more units thus cetached can be moved under their own control to a siding, while tlie remainder ot the train proceeds in the usual w„v oits run. electric train has manv advantageous differences from steam operation, the mo=t outstanding of which is rapid acceleration. ti)o train in all instances attaining ha,fspced cr mere before the bust en- e'ears tho platform. The absence .f Miiohe and einders is also of advantage l to ;<;'=s:-iqfrs. In order to give some idea of the heavy nature of Melbourne suburb)n frai'iie Mr Dewey mentions that Flinders Street Central Station handles more nasaciiffprs day than any other railway station* in the v.--rld the daily average being about 181000. while fc.'io greatest number to be handled in anv one day was 526,0C0.